Her apartment was cozy, filled with framed photos from weddings she had captured.

She worked with love stories every day, which made me admire her even more, given that she didn’t have a relationship of her own.

“Look at this couple,” she said, turning her laptop screen toward me. “They look so in love, don’t they?”

I leaned in, studying the photo. It was a beautiful shot—sunset in the background, the bride’s veil flowing in the breeze, and the groom smiling warmly at his new wife.

“What’s up with this line?” I asked, pointing to the subtle seam between the two figures.

Mary shrugged casually.

“Oh, that? Sometimes I merge two different photos together. It’s a trick I use. People pay extra for it. Sometimes the bride and groom don’t have a good shot together, or maybe the bride likes her smile in one photo, but the groom looks better in another. So I just merge them. It’s harmless, and it looks real.”

Mary’s expression darkened for just a second, her eyes almost guarded, but then she gave a little laugh.

“Yeah, I’ve gotten pretty good at it. It’s just a skill you develop over time.”

I felt a twinge of sympathy for Mary. Here she was, spending all her time making other people’s love stories look perfect, yet she didn’t have anyone in her own life.

She put on a strong front, but I could sense her loneliness underneath. I wanted to cheer her up, so I quickly changed the subject.

Mary’s eyes widened slightly, and she seemed startled.

“What makes you think that?”

“Well,” I said with a grin, leaning in closer like I was sharing a big secret.

“I accidentally found a ring in his bag while I was cleaning the other day. It was this little velvet box, and when it fell out, I peeked inside. But I put it right back—I didn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

“That’s great, Sarah. Really great,” she said, though her tone lacked enthusiasm.

For a moment, I wondered if I had said something wrong. Maybe Mary felt a little sad hearing about my excitement when she didn’t have someone in her life.

Still, I couldn’t shake the odd look she gave me, as if she was hiding something behind her smile.

I decided not to press her, figuring she was just feeling down about being single. We continued chatting, but a strange sense of unease lingered in the air.

I wanted it to be a special evening, to show him how much I loved him and to celebrate the future I was sure we were about to share.

But when Max walked in the door, something was off. His usual warm smile was nowhere to be found. Instead, his face was twisted with anger, and the second he saw the table set for two, his expression grew darker.

“What’s this?” he snapped, his voice sharp and cutting as he glanced around at the dinner I had prepared.

Confused, I blinked at him. “I thought we could have a nice dinner. What’s wrong?” I asked, hoping to soothe whatever had upset him.

Max’s jaw clenched, his eyes cold as they bore into mine.

“Sarah, tell me the truth. Right now.”

My heart started to pound.

His face twisted even more in frustration, and his voice grew harsher.

“If you don’t tell me the truth right now, we’re done.”

I stared at him, completely bewildered.

“I don’t understand! What did I do?”

Max let out an angry breath, reached into his bag, and slammed a stack of photos onto the table.

“This! Explain this!” His voice was raised, and I could feel the tension radiating from him. Without another word, he stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door so hard the windows rattled.

The photos looked so real, but none of them made sense. I had never cheated on Max—these pictures were lies, and I had no idea how they came to be.

Tears filled my eyes as I collapsed onto the chair, the perfect dinner now forgotten. My mind raced, trying to make sense of the impossible.

How could I prove that these photos weren’t real? And, more importantly, how could I convince Max?

“Max just left me,” I choked out.

“He thinks I cheated on him, Mary! But these photos—they’re not real! I don’t even know the guy in them! I swear!”

Mary’s voice, on the other end, was calm. Too calm. “Sarah,” she said slowly, “maybe this is a sign. Maybe you and Max weren’t meant to be. Sometimes, things fall apart for a reason. You should just let it go.”

Her response made me freeze. There was something wrong in the way she said it, something cold and dismissive.

But Mary didn’t seem moved. She sighed, sounding more annoyed than concerned.

“It’s not the end of the world, Sarah. People move on from things like this. You will too. Just let it go.”

I felt my chest tighten with frustration and confusion. I needed support, and instead, Mary was brushing me off like my whole world wasn’t falling apart.

“You’re not helping!” I yelled, feeling the tears burn down my cheeks.

“I love Max! This is all a misunderstanding! Why aren’t you taking this seriously?”

As is ended the call, something clicked in my mind. As I held the photos in my trembling hands, my eyes caught a small, almost invisible line running through the images—the same faint line I’d seen when Mary had shown me the edited wedding photos just days earlier.

My heart raced, and my mind started to put the pieces together.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Mary. She had manipulated the photos. I had seen her do it before for her clients, merging separate images into one seamless lie.

And now, I knew with terrifying certainty—she was behind this. She was trying to destroy my relationship.

Determined to fix the damage, I jumped into my car and drove straight to Jimmy’s house. I knew if Max wasn’t at home, he’d be here—seeking comfort from his best friend.

As I pulled into the driveway, my heart pounded, fueled by the betrayal and desperation swirling inside me.

“I need to see Max,” I said firmly.

Jimmy glanced over his shoulder, clearly conflicted. After a moment, he nodded and let me in. I walked through the house, my pulse quickening as I approached the backyard.

There, I saw them—Max sitting on the patio, his face etched with frustration, and Mary by his side, smiling and laughing as she leaned toward him. She was trying to comfort him, but her presence only ignited my anger further.

I stormed toward them, my hand clutching the photos. “Max!” I called out, my voice sharp with emotion. Both of them turned, surprise flashing across their faces.

“These photos are fake!” I declared, thrusting the pictures in front of Max. “Mary did this. Look at the lines in the pictures!”

But I wasn’t backing down. I pulled out the original photo of Max and me, the one where we were together, happy.

“This is the original photo. Mary cropped me out and replaced me with someone else.”

Max’s face tightened with confusion and hurt as he looked at the evidence. Slowly, understanding washed over him. His eyes moved from the photos to Mary.

“You did this?” he whispered, his voice heavy with disbelief.

Tears welled up in Mary’s eyes as she crumbled.

Max’s jaw clenched as he stood up and turned away from her. His gaze landed on me, and I saw the pain and regret in his eyes.

“Sarah,” he began, his voice filled with remorse, “I’m so sorry. I should’ve trusted you.”

Tears brimmed in my own eyes as I nodded, my heart softening. “I know,” I whispered.

Without another word, Max knelt down in front of me, pulling out the ring I had seen before. “I love you, Sarah. I was a fool to doubt you. Will you still marry me?”

A smile broke through my tears as I whispered, “Yes, Max. Yes.”

Mary left, sobbing, and Max and I stood there in each other’s arms, ready to rebuild our love and face the future together.

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